Hi;
Does anyone know where to find the Dow (blue ) or Owen Corning (pink) foam in the Los Angeles area? There is one place in Burbank, but they have a 4 pallet minimum. That’s a LOT more scenery than I have!! (and much more money).[:(]
If you check the manufactures web sites, they say the usual Home depot or Lowes, but neither one have a clue down here. I guess its not cold enuf.
Thanks,
Tom Mann.
If you can’t find something in Los Angeles, I feel for you brother.
Lots of luck ANYWHERE in California, my friend. Seems that the pink and blue foam is a threat to the habitat of the Central Valley Snarfing Snail or the Hooted Crapping Owl, or something, and all we seem to be able to get anymore is the beaded stuff. Ask at Home Depot these days and all you get is a blank stare.
I understand you can still get it in Nevada, where it hasn’t been declared a threat to the habitat of the Las Vegas Stripping Snake yet, so it might be worth a trip. Other than that, lotsa luck. That’s what happens to something here in California that works–it gets declared hazardous!
Tom [:(!][:(!]
I posted this once and nobody paid any attension to it. I contacted Owens Corning to ask where to get their 2" foam near me. I said I was going to carve mountains and terrain for train out of it. They sent me back an immediats WARNING, saying WE DO NOT RECOMMEND USEING OUR PRODUCT IN THIS MANNER. IT IS MADE TO BE ENCAPSULATED INTO WALL OR CEILING ONLY! DO NOT CARVE OR SAND THIS PRODUCT! WE ADVISE YOU TO STOP THIS HOBBY PRACTICE IMMEDIATLY!
Did anyone think to ask if doing this was safe?
Try some insulation supply stores, they usually have it. That is where I had to get mine, we don’t have theese big home improvement stores here quite yet (Home Depot is opening the 18th YAY!!!) The 1 1/2" blue foam I got cost about $18. (however I manged to get mine for free because I taught the owner how to swim [:)]
There was a post similar to this last month. I beleive that someone had found a supplier somewhere in So. Ca. (LA area).
Don’t know why the foam is hard to find in the warmer climate regions, insuation is also needed for A/C as well as heating. Not all insulation can be accomplished with rolls or batt fiberglass.
Do a search, or maybe someone can help. Too bad- regular styrofoam(beaded crap) is horrible to work with.
Bob K.
I have a hard time seeing why the extruded foam should be unsuitable for modeling, unless there is something about the chemicals added to Owen’s stuff that makes it volatile and injurious over time. Besides, most of us paint over its surfaces with latex paint, so that acts as an enclosure…of sorts.
I don’t know why they said that. the only thing I can think is the dust from sanding and carving. I was going to use it, but now after that, I’m going to stick to wood and plaster.
I imagine that “warning” is just to protect themselves in this overly sue-happy society we live in. If the stuff really was all that dangerous, you can be darn sure there would be warnings printed all over the product itself.
Obviously, the foam creates dust when you carve or cut it with a knife or other such tool, and you need to avoid breating in those fine particles. I wear a respirator if I’m doing any serious carving to Extruded Polystyrene, and generally use a “hot knife” to do any detail work (which produces some fumes, but no dust).
Folks have been using this stuff for years–myself included–and I’ve yet to hear of anyone suffering any significant harm. The carved foam gets covered by a coat of paint or plaster in nearly all cases, or, in the way I use it, gets covered by a layer of Sculptamold. Besides, you can’t live forever, and we all know by now that virtually everything we touch or consume these days is bad for us in one way or another. Just listen to or watch any daily news program and you’ll find the latest items added to the list.
Regarding availability: Depends on what part of the country you live in. Those in warmer climates may have a hard time finding the stuff since it’s sold as an insulating material. Those in colder climates (or more seasonal climates) will generally find it at most any well-stocked home supply store. I had no problem finding the stuff when I lived in the Milwaukee area. Have had a more difficult time finding it here in Virginia, although my local Home Depot began carrying it about a year or so ago.
The problem appears that exposed extruded foam is considered a fire hazard, I found a reference to that from a dealer here in Toronto who linked to an Ont govt website on foam regulations which also say it must be sealed inside dry wall or whatever.
Now the question is [:)] when the foam is covered with hydrocal or sculptamold etc is it sealed just as if it was behind drywall?
Yeah, I think it is safe. I can’t be chemical or else it would be as unsuitable as asbestos, and be just as prohibited in construction. I can see the fire issue, but if your house is on fire, dangers from the foam are likely to be moot; either way, yer gonna grab yer trains first and then run like hell. The wife and kids? Let them grab their own stuff!!! [:o)][:D]
I can understand why they would warn against it’s use if it was being sanded, but carving it into particles that are not an inhalation hazard doesn’t strike me as being particularly dangerous. The fact that they put a plastic film over the sheet, does make me wonder if there isn’t some potential chemical exposure issues. The stuff doesn’t have any obvious odor, to indicate out gassing.
I agree, it may just be a general CYA warning, not specific.
see if you can find a cameron ashely warehouse, that’s their specialty.
I am sure you are correct, but users should be aware that it is intended to be encapsulated. It does not burn, but high heat (flame or soldering iron for instance) causes it to evaporate. I am sure the gas is not healthy. The evaporation stops quickly when the heat source is removed or the material has evaporated to a point far enough away from the source.
Use water based paints and glues. The material will desolve because of the solvents in many paints and glues. I have used solvent s to quickly create depressions in it for streams and ponds, but this can be hard to control.
I like the blue stuff…it’s prettier than the pink stuff! [;)][:p][:)][:D]
BTW…I’ve picked up several pieces off the side of the raod…I guess it blew off a truck. ( OK…so I’m a scavenger…I also pick up sod for my yard off the road, and most of it lived! ) [:D]
Rotor
Reading this thread jogged my memory. When I fixed up my basement I put the foam board against the concrete block walls and put paneling over that. I remember reading a pamphlet at the store (one of the big-box home supply stores) about use of the foam board. It recommended that it be covered with a nonflammable material (plaster board was used as an example). I suppose maybe some areas made this recommendation part of their building codes, which might be why it’s not sold in some areas (??).
Anyway I decided to check its flammability. Not more than ten minutes ago, I tried to burn a piece of it outside in my back yard. I used a standard propane torch and a piece of Owen’s pink foam. As long as the propane flame was in contact wioth the foam, the foam burned with a yellow flame that produced heavy, sooty, black smoke. After taking the propane flame away from the foam, the yellow flame self-extinguished itself in less than two seconds. I would assume that breathing the heavy black smoke would not be very healthy. I then tried this same experiment on a piece of white bead board. Pretty much the same thing happened - heavy black smoke - but this time it took about ten seconds for the flame to self-extinguish. I didn’t have any blue foam to try.
Tomman, I know what you mean when you say you can’t find the foam in your area. I am having a difficult time locating a store that sells it in the San Francisco Bay Area. I will probably have to use the old tried-and-true methods of plywood benchwork and hardshell scenery due to the lack of stores that sell foam. If anyone knows a store that sells foam in the Bay Area, please let me know.
You used real sod for the freight yard? [:p]
I wi***here was an inexpensive way to ship you guys some, the Home Depot (HD) near us has plenty of 2" thick, 2’ X 8’ pink (ugh) foam insulation. Sometimes they have blue, but the Pink Panther gets mad.